Leader of the House of Lords

Parliamentary Session

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask the Leader of the House when she expects the current session of Parliament to end.

baroness evans of bowes park: A date for the prorogation of the current session has not yet been set. The length of the first session was extended to give Parliament more time to consider the crucial legislation relating to Brexit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Natural Gas: Storage

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the closure of the Rough gas storage facility, how many days’ worth of natural gas can now be stored in the UK, based on the UK’s average daily consumption.

lord henley: The UK currently has a total gas storage capacity of 2.5 billion cubic metres (bcm), in the form of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) stored at terminals (1.2bcm) and gas stored underground (1.3bcm)[1]. Based on the average daily demand (209 million cubic metres/day)1, the UK’s total gas storage capacity is equivalent to 12 days of average demand (6 days from LNG stocks, and 6 days from underground storage).  [1] Capacity and demand data sources: https://www.nationalgridgas.com/data-and-operations/transmission-operational-data

Fracking: Earthquakes

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to alter the current rules and regulations regarding permitted seismicity levels during fracking operations in the UK.

lord henley: The Traffic Light System for monitoring induced seismicity was introduced after consideration of advice from three scientists, following operations at Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall site in 2011. The level of magnitude 0.5 at which operators must pause operations, was set in consultation with industry as an appropriate precautionary measure. There are no plans to review the traffic light system.

Fracking

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the issues Cuadrilla Resources has faced whilst fracking near Blackpool; and whether they consider the UK fracking industry to be commercially viable.

lord henley: The Government is reassured that our regulatory regime for shale gas is working as intended. The industry is at the very early stages of exploration and we do not yet know how much of the UK’s shale resources can be extracted technically or economically and what the contribution to the UK economy could be. We will continue to support responsible companies, working within our robust regulatory regime, who are prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Christianity

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the government of Nigeria’s involvement in the persecution of Christians in northern and central-belt states; andwhether, as a result of any such assessment, they intend to withdraw aid to Nigeria.

baroness goldie: We have seen no evidence of government involvement in the intercommunal violence which has affected multiple states across Nigeria. We regularly reinforce to the Nigerian authorities the importance of protecting civilians and upholding human rights standards. Any member of the Nigerian security services found to have been involved in human rights violations must be held accountable.The UK does not intend to withdraw development and humanitarian assistance from Nigeria, which faces numerous challenges to its future growth and development. The humanitarian crisis in the north-east is worsening, millions of children lack access to clean water, sanitation or education, and conflict continues to affect the oil-rich Delta region. Despite significant natural resources, around a third of Nigerians (60 million) live below the national poverty line with around another third just above; many of them are highly vulnerable and at risk of being trafficked to the UK. The UK is focused on helping Nigeria overcome these challenges.

Cabinet Office

Interserve

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the current (1) number, and (2) value of contracts between Interserve and (a) government departments, (b) local authorities, and (c) other public agencies.

lord young of cookham: Details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 and wider public sector contracts above the value of £25,000 are published on Contracts Finder.

Cancer: Diagnosis

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were diagnosed with cancer in the last year for which records are available, broken down by cancer type and Cancer Alliance area.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. Dear Baroness Jolly, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were diagnosed with cancer in the last year available, broken down by cancer type and cancer alliance area (HL13595). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in collaboration with Public Health England publishes the number of cancer diagnoses registered in England in each calendar year, as part of its Cancer Statistics Registrations, England release. The latest available cancer incidence data is available for 2016 and was published by ONS in June 2018[1]. Table 1 attached provides the number of cancer registrations in 2016 for each cancer type that we normally publish, for each of the nineteen cancer alliance areas in England. These figures are for all ages and both sexes combined. A copy has been placed in the House of Lords Library. While ONS does not hold cancer registrations data for Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, similar figures are published by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry[2], the Scottish Cancer Registry[3] and the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit[4], respectively.  Yours sincerely  John Pullinger   [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/final2016[2]http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/[3]http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/[4]http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk/home  



UKSA Response - Table 1
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.18 KB)

Honours Forfeiture Committee

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the Honours Forfeiture Committee met in each of the last eight calendar years; and when that committee last met.

lord young of cookham: Prior to 2017, the Forfeiture Committee met to consider cases on an ad-hoc basis, or by correspondence as business required. The Committee now only meets formally and in person. Since 2017 has met on three occasions, and it last met in September 2018.

Infrastructure: Construction

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of an analysis by the National Infrastructure Forum suggesting there may be instability in the construction sectoras a result of government infrastructure projects.

lord young of cookham: The Government welcomes The National Infrastructure Forum’s report and the contributions it makes to how government and industry can best work together to deliver vital infrastructure.  The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline sets out planned infrastructure and construction investment across the public and private sectors. By providing Government with the data that informs the creation of the Pipeline, both the public and private sectors are demonstrating commitment to the planned projects and programmes within the Pipeline. These will be in various stages of delivery and each publication of the Pipeline includes a delivery progress update. The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline therefore gives greater transparency and certainty to the construction sector, rather than creating instability.

Public Sector: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for auditing the payment performance data published by public authorities as required by sections 113(7) and 113(8) of the Public Service Contracts Regulations 2015; and what processes they use for such audits.

lord young of cookham: Details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 and wider public sector contracts above the value of £25,000 are published on Contracts Finder.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Buildings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the awareness amongst NHS Estates Managersof their obligations under the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 and the application of those Regulations to facilities maintenance operations.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to increase awareness of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 relating to the NHS Estate andthe applicationof those Regulations to the facilities maintenance operations amongst NHS Estates Managers.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the application of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 is monitored across the NHS Estate, specifically in relation to the facilities maintenance operations.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that NHS Estates Managers receive appropriate training in respect of their obligations under the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015, specifically in relation to facilities maintenance operations.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the Health and Safety Executive about the observance of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 and the applicationof those Regulations across the NHS Estate, specifically in relation to facilities maintenance operations.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whetherNHS Estates Managersare sufficiently aware of the Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences Sentencing Guidelines 2016 and the application of those Guidelines following a breach of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 and other Health and Safety legislation.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 apply to all National Health Service construction and design work and as such are implemented across all capital investment, including the responsibilities of specific professionals employed. The business case approval process for capital funding implemented by NHS England and NHS Improvement assures appropriate elements of these regulations which are used to review business cases for capital received from the NHS. Staff with estates and facilities services responsibilities across the NHS receive training that should include awareness of their duties and obligations under these regulations, in line with individuals roles and responsibilities, including potential penalties for non-compliance in line with the Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences Sentencing Guidelines 2016. NHS Improvement and the Department have not discussed these regulations with the Health and Safety Executive recently.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the review by Public Health England of prescribed drugs dependence and withdrawal; and what assessment they have made of the progress of the review against that timetable.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Public Health England’s review of dependence on, or withdrawal from, prescribed medications is currently scheduled to be published in July 2019.Some of the methods being used are in the process of being enhanced, in response to the interim findings, to ensure that the final findings are robust.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Agnew of Oulton on 6 February (HL13093 and HL13094), what assessment they have made of the impact of their decision to delay the roll-out of Universal Credit on the (1) number of children eligible for free school meals, and (2) ability of families to access such meals.

lord agnew of oulton: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 6 February 2019 to HL13093 and HL13094.The eligibility criteria for free school meals (FSM) remains the same following changes to the rollout schedule for Universal Credit (UC), and we will keep the level of the earnings threshold under review following UC rollout. Households that are receiving legacy benefits will continue to access FSM in the same way they do now, and as households migrate to UC in due course, they will remain eligible for FSM throughout the rollout of UC. Our protections mean that even if a household moves above the earnings threshold or ceases to claim benefits, they will continue to receive FSM for the duration of the UC rollout.No child that is eligible for and currently receives FSM will lose their entitlement to FSM as a result of UC during the roll out phase, and even more children will benefit by retaining eligibility through the protections we have put in place.The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming FSM and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:The eligibility checking service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities;A model registration form for paper-based applications; andGuidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make UC claimants aware that they might be entitled to FSM.

Universities: Admissions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation on 28 March 2018 (HC Deb, col 408WH) about unconditional university offers and autonomy over admissions, what data they hold on the number of students with offers for study at British universities with admission for deferred entry who were contacted by the Admissions and Access Service of those universities to indicate that they would no longer be offered their intended course; what assessment they have made of the cost implications that such decisions hold for each prospective student whoas a result may beobliged to pursue their intended studies further afield; and what compensatory arrangements they consider to be appropriate forthe failure to honoursuch placesoffered to students who satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.

viscount younger of leckie: Higher Education institutions are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions. Data on the number of applicants with offers for deferred entry who were no longer offered their intended course is not held centrally. Consequently, no assessment has been made of the cost implications to prospective students in this scenario. We are concerned by the steep rise in the number of unconditional offers being made to students. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the Office for Students that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action. We expect universities to act responsibly when setting admissions criteria and expect admissions to be fair, accessible and transparent.

Schools: Admissions

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence, if any, they have that programmes linking schools with each other with homogeneous pupil populations taken from one religious background are as effective at promoting social cohesion and inter-communal trust as fully inclusive schools open to children from a variety of backgrounds.

lord agnew of oulton: Education has a vital role in promoting integration. That is why the Department for Education is taking forward a number of measures across its portfolio to support the sector to promote integration. We want educational settings that prepare all children, young people and adults to participate fully in life in modern Britain, and equip children and young people with the skills, knowledge and values to become active citizens. All schools and colleges are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, and to promote our shared values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.School linking programmes are an important element of our integration agenda. Providing opportunities for young people to have meaningful interactions with those from different backgrounds helps build understanding of different communities and cultures, fosters more positive attitudes, promotes social cohesion and inter-communal trust. Social mixing and school linking are grounded in contact theory, with studies consistently finding that contact between groups of young people from different backgrounds creates more positive attitudes and can increase cohesion. This is particularly evidenced in recent findings by the University of Bristol and London School of Economics[1].The Department for Education co-funds, with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, The Linking Network which links all kinds of schools to help children explore questions of identity, diversity, equality and community cohesion. The Linking Network uses a data analysis tool to ensure that it is only linking together pupil populations from different backgrounds, including young people of different faiths, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds and from different areas.Diversity of intake is also important, and that is why we are taking forward our commitment, as set out in the Integrated Communities Action Plan, to develop model admissions arrangements. We have also recently published the Respectful Schools Communities toolkit[2] to help schools be inclusive environments; this self-review and signposting tool supports schools to develop a whole-school approach that promotes respect and discipline. [1] Burgess, S., and Platt, L. (2018) Inter-ethnic relations of teenagers in England’s schools: the role of school and neighbourhood ethnic composition, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM) Discussion Paper Series, CPD 07/18 [2] https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders.

Treasury

EU Staff: Pensions

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 28 January (HL12856), whether the€9.75 billion in pensions liabilities are part of the estimated £39 billion settlement or additional to it.

lord bates: The financial settlement negotiated with the European Union includes the value of pensions liabilities incurred while a member state. We have reached a fair financial settlement with the EU, honouring commitments we made during our period of membership, and have ensured a fair deal for UK taxpayers. The Government was able to secure a number of successes in negotiations that reduced the size of the settlement from what it might have been under the Commission’s original proposal including provisions that enable future simplifications for the period over which we pay for pensions.

Investment: Property

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the risk balance of portfolios of open-ended property funds are not, and will not be, distorted by favouring redeeming investors.

lord bates: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to Lord Myners by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

viscount eccles: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the total cost of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is expected to be; and how this expenditure will be financed.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In January 2015, in response to the Holocaust Commission’s report ‘Britain’s Promise to Remember, the Prime Minister with cross-party support committed £50 million to kick-start a society-wide fundraising effort to deliver the National Memorial and Learning Centre and its wider educational objectives.

Empty Property: Security

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of individuals who are living as property guardians in England.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government does not collect data on property guardians. According to research carried out by the University of York, it is estimated that there are between 5,000 and 7,000 property guardians in the UK, representing 0.1 per cent of households in the private rented sector.

Empty Property: Security

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the responseby Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 15 October 2018 (HL Deb, cols 366–8) regarding the information about their factsheetbeing "not, of itself, sufficient", what progress they have made in producing further guidance.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Following my engagement on this issue, the Department is reviewing the current factsheet about property guardianship and considering how best this information can be disseminated to property guardians.We are also undertaking a review of enforcement guidance for local authorities on private rented sector enforcement, including on the enforcement of relevant standards in buildings occupied by property guardians. We expect to publish this guidance by the end of March, and to deliver training for all local authorities in March and April.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Procurement

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK is expected to become a net defence importer in any of the next five years.

earl howe: We are committed to creating the right conditions for a thriving UK defence industry and our refreshed Defence Industrial Policy outlines steps to help UK industry grow and compete, while affirming the UK's commitment to open competition and free, fair, and responsible trade. This includes by helping industry in its plans to be internationally competitive, innovative and secure. We are currently considering the right hon. Member for Ludlow's independent report into growing defence's contribution to UK economic growth. On a rolling 10-year basis, the UK remains the second largest global defence exporter, and in 2017 the UK won defence orders worth £9 billion. Alongside this in 2017-18 the Ministry of Defence's expenditure with UK industry and commerce was just under £19 billion, which represents an important benefit in terms of domestic partnership to UK industry.

Defence: Procurement

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report for the Secretary of State for Defence, Growing the Contribution of Defence to UK Prosperity, published in July 2018, whether UK prosperity is a factor in procurement decisions.

earl howe: Last March the Defence Secretary invited the right hon. Member for Ludlow (Philip Dunne) to review opportunities for "Growing the Contribution of Defence to UK Prosperity". We are currently working with UK defence industry to respond to his recommendations. Following the creation of the national security objective to 'Promote our Prosperity' in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review we have refreshed Defence Industrial Policy to help strengthen UK competitiveness, published a National Shipbuilding Strategy and launched the Future Combat Air Strategy. We also engage with global primes to create opportunities for all tiers of the UK supply chain.

Military Aircraft

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answerby Earl Howe on 13 February (HL13489), whether there have been any discussions between the EU Future Combat Air System team and the UK Tempest team.

earl howe: The term Future Combat Air System refers to a number of international Air projects. The Department does not recognise the term 'EU Future Combat Air System' and assumes the question refers to the French-German Next Generation Fighter (NGF), which is a component of their Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS). This has previously been referred to as the Système de Combat Aérien Futur (SCAF). The UK has held discussions with a number of EU and other nations on future combat air systems.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the length and location of each of the sections of the English coastal path which have (1) been completed, and (2) not yet been completed; when each of the sections (1) opened, and (2) are expected to open; and whether they will achieve the target date of 2020 for its overall completion.

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of each of the sections of the English coastal path which have been completed; what is the estimated cost of each of those sections which have not yet been completed; and what were, or will be, the sources of funding.

lord gardiner of kimble: The England Coast Path (ECP) will be a 2,700 mile walking route around the coast of England. Natural England have been allocated £25.6m between 2015 and 2020 to deliver the England Coast Path. A summary of progress on each of the 16 open or approved stretches is included in Table A and B. The 50 unopened stretches are summarised in Table C. Estimated cost of establishment works and opening dates are provided where known. The ECP proposals are within scope of a European Court opinion, known colloquially as People over Wind (PoW), which was handed down in April 2018. The PoW opinion affects the way Natural England manage the impact of their proposals on sites with nature conservation designations. As such, the PoW court ruling has impacted on delivery of the path to date and will continue to have an impact moving forward. In light of this judgement and progress to date the 2020 delivery date is being reviewed. Natural England continue to work towards opening as much of the path as possible by 2020. To date the delivery programme has cost £18million. Establishment costs have been funded through grant in aid to Natural England. From 2018/19 Rural Development Programme for England funding has been available for local authorities to meet the cost of establishment.Table A - Open stretches  Stretch nameOpening dateLength in MilesEstablishment  Costs (Actual)Rufus Castle to Lulworth Cove29/06/201220£25,000Allonby to Whitehaven11/04/201422£67,813North Gare to South Bents12/04/201434£51,306Sea Palling to Weybourne12/12/201425£64,301Brean Down to Minehead15/03/201658£381,506Camber to Folkestone19/07/201629£19,123Folkestone to Ramsgate19/07/201637£99,994Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge21/07/201668£65,221Hopton On Sea to Sea Palling24/10/201621£79,901South Bents to Amble26/07/201844£223,048  358£1,077,213  Table B - Unopened stretches undergoing building works  Stretch nameOpening dateLength in MilesEstablishment costs (Estimated)Skegness to Mablethorpe27/02/201916£80,484Newport Bridge to North GareTBC10£528,979Whitehaven to SilecroftTBC32£415,949Walney IslandTBC21£233,679Ramsgate to WhitstableTBC25£31,574Maldon to SalcottTBC27£46,099  131£1,336,764  Table C - Unopened stretches RegionOpening dateLength in MilesEstablishment costs (Stretches)South WestTBC548(8)TBCWestTBC140(4)TBCSouthTBC276(7)TBCSouth EastTBC208(6)TBCEssexTBC266(8)TBCEastTBC261(7)TBCNorth EastTBC212(5)TBCNorth WestTBC302(5)TBC TBC221350TBC

Animals: Diseases

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what preparations they have made to deal with any outbreaks ofexotic diseases in animals in the UK after Brexit, including improving access to vets and additional financial support for the agricultural sector; and whether they will publish their strategy for such preparations.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has comprehensive arrangements for dealing effectively with outbreaks of animal disease. In relation to exotic notifiable diseases, these arrangements are consistent with those set out by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Defra’s plans are set out in the Contingency Plan for Exotic Notifiable Diseases of Animals in England which was laid before Parliament in November 2018 and is available via GOV.UK. After the UK leaves the EU the Government will retain the necessary powers required to tackle animal disease.   Defra engages closely with farmers and animal keepers to help prevent exotic disease outbreaks and if they do arise we work closely with them and their industry bodies to tackle the outbreaks quickly and effectively. Defra’s longstanding practice is that: farmers receive compensation for any healthy animals culled to control the spread of exotic animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease or swine fever; farmers do not receive any compensation for animals that die before they are culled or are not culled as part of official controls; farmers are not compensated for consequential losses (e.g. the income that the animal would have generated in the future, for example through laying eggs or producing offspring).   Defra is working with different veterinary sector stakeholders, including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association, on the UK’s veterinary resourcing needs and ensure there are adequate numbers of vets after the UK’s departure from the EU, in the long term.   We are working on a variety of initiatives to build a sustainable and modernised UK veterinary infrastructure to ensure we have access to the right people with the right skills and knowledge to support animal health and welfare.

Insects: Conservation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reduction in global insect populations and how to reverse the global impact of this trend.

lord gardiner of kimble: UK scientists have been at the forefront of delivering assessments by the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The IPBES global assessment for pollinators concluded that wild pollinators, including many insect groups, have declined in Europe and North America. Data deficiencies precluded assessment in other parts of the world. Regional assessments came to similar conclusions for wider biodiversity, including insects. In Europe, for example, ongoing strong declines were identified in most species groups.   The UK Government acknowledges and is committed to addressing the declines. Internationally, we are determined to play a leading role in the development of an ambitious strategy under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, when its current framework expires in 2020. At the most recent Conference of the Parties to the Convention, in November 2018, we supported action such as the adoption of a global plan for the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators.   At the national level, the Government’s indicators of the abundance of UK butterflies show long term declines since 1976 but no significant change since 2012. Our indicator of pollinating insects in the UK tells a similar story - overall distribution has declined since 1980 but has stabilised in recent years. We are keeping these trends under review as encouraging but not yet definitive signs of progress.   The Government gathers further data on the status of UK pollinators through a UK-wide pollinator monitoring and research partnership, established in collaboration with research institutes and volunteer organisations.   The 25 Year Environment Plan commits to improving the status of insects and each of the four countries of the UK has its own strategy to protect pollinators. We will continue to work in partnership with scientists and practitioners for future generations to inherit a better environment.

Home Office

Forensic Science Regulator

lord borwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service last met the Forensic Science Regulator; and how regularly he has met her sinceher appointment.

baroness williams of trafford: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Social Media: Fraud

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with social media companies to help prevent online fraudulent activity.

baroness williams of trafford: The Joint Fraud Taskforce (a coalition between government, industry, law enforcement and the third sector) is leading an ambitious programme of work to prevent fraud that occurs both online and offline. This includes broadening its engagement with other sectors, including online platforms and social media companies, to collectively address the vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit to commit their crimes.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Borders: Northern Ireland

lord macpherson of earl's court: To ask Her Majesty's Government what expenditure, if any, they have incurred on developing potential technological solutions to issues relating to the Irish border after Brexit.

lord callanan: Consideration of policy options for the UK’s orderly withdrawal from the European Union have been resourced from Departmental budgets and no figures are available as to the cost of consideration of specific options.The EU and the UK have agreed in the Political Declaration to work together to exchange information on facilitative arrangements and technologies. The Prime Minister is seeking legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop, while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.There are a number of ways to secure a backstop that Parliament can support. We are engaging constructively with the details of proposals.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: East Africa

lord chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to restrictions on developing countries that are members of the East African Customs Union to sign reciprocal trade agreements with the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and whether they intend to extend the current duty free and quota free access to UK markets to mitigate any potential losses to such countries as a result of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness fairhead: The UK continues to support the implementation of the EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the East Africa Community (EAC). As and when EAC partners find a way to agree to sign the EPA, the UK will seek to replicate this agreement.As the UK leaves the EU, we want to avoid disruption to trade with EAC partners as far as possible. The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act enables the UK to put in place a UK trade preferences scheme for developing countries. This will grant duty-free quota-free access to UK markets for Least Developed Countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan, while providing generous tariff reductions for other developing countries including Kenya.

Trade Agreements

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Confederation of British Industry's warning that the UK may have to leave several existing trade agreements in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness fairhead: Implementing the Withdrawal Agreement agreed with the EU remains the Government’s preferred outcome. This can ensure the UK’s continued participation in those trade agreements that the EU has struck with third party countries.Nevertheless, a responsible Government prepares for all eventualities and work continues to transition these agreements into a UK context in time for an exit on 29th March 2019.The Government will update the House shortly on the progress of its continuity programme and will continue to inform the House when further agreements are signed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Clubs

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the establishment of the Future High Streets Fund to support and fund local areas’ plans to make their high streets and town centres fit for the future, whether they will consider providing similar assistance to local football clubs to ensure such clubs can continue to benefit their communities; and whether they will work alongside the football authorities to this end.

lord ashton of hyde: At last Budget the government announced a £675 million Future High Streets Fund to help improve infrastructure and access to high streets, put historic buildings back to use and make town centres fit for the future. At the same time, the government recognises the important social and wellbeing benefits local football clubs can bring to their communities. Through our partnership with the FA and the Premier League in the Football Foundation Charity, we are investing more money than ever before into creating the facilities across the country that can be used for local community use. New Local Football Facility Plans for every Local Authority in England are being worked up over the next 12 months. These plans will identify the places where investment in facilities is needed the most.

Women and Equalities

Assistance Animals: Discrimination

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to strengthen the Equality Act 2010 to prevent fully the discrimination against, and the exclusion of, people with assistance dogs, in the form of denial of access to taxis and minicabs, shops and restaurants by those without health-related exemption certificates.

baroness williams of trafford: It is already illegal for taxi and Private Hire Vehicle drivers to refuse to carry an assistance dog or to charge their owner more for a journey. Local licensing authorities should ensure that drivers are aware of their duties, and that appropriate action, including prosecution, is taken where non-compliance is identified. There is also already a legal duty for service providers to provide reasonable adjustments to disabled people so that they are not put at a significant disadvantage compared to non-disabled people, which may include allowing access for assistance dogs where animals would not normally be permitted. The Office for Disability Issues has been facilitating the assistance dog sector to work together to look at access and supply issues, with a view to creating an accredited UK standard. This work is ongoing but if a standard can be achieved this should reduce the likelihood of access refusals.